McGuinness alleges he and those fans suffered “economic damages” for paying premium ticket prices to a game that was not played under optimal conditions.

“It’s like going to Morton’s Steakhouse and paying $63 for a porterhouse and they bring out cube steak,” McGuinness told ESPN.com. “That’s exactly what happened here.”

Despite missing four of their top players, the Spurs pushed the defending champion Heat to the final minute before succumbing 105-100. Stern admonished the Spurs in a pregame statement before saddling them with one of the largest fines in NBA history several days later.

“The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early season game that was the team’s only regular-season visit to Miami,” Stern said in an additional statement. “The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans.”

Popovich acknowledged at the time that it wasn’t an ideal situation, but has since said he will continue to manage his team as he sees fit.